A New Companion
by thelittlestlamb
Summary: The Doctor and Jack stumble across a capsule. Inside is a young teenage girl, who is being traced by something the Doctor isn't too pleased to encounter again.
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry I've been away for a bit – I lost all the files for the next chapters to The End, so will be updating that in due course. **

**Meanwhile – a new story while I rewrite :-) **

**This is set after the end of the Master's demise and the revelation of Jack being the Face of Boe etc. Even though Jack's gone in the TV series, I'm not getting rid of him. But there's no Martha here!**

The Doctor was sitting alone outside the TARDIS in the Powell Estate on a chilly day in December 2001. He had his eyes peeled on the door that led into the Tyler's flat and had done so for the last hour, waiting for some small sign of movement. Finally the door opened and a blonde girl, about fifteen years of age, walked out, hanging on her boyfriend's arm with a silly grin on her face. He watched her look at him lovingly and felt a small stab of jealousy hit both his hearts. There was a time when she had favoured him with that smile, had hung on to his arm and had held his hand. There was a time when she had needed his hugs to protect her, and there were countless times when they had to run for their lives. That was all in her future, but now in the Doctor's past, forever imprinted in his brilliant mind. He watched his Rose turn the corner and got to his feet, wiping a tear from his eye as he stepped back into the TARDIS. Captain Jack Harkness was at the centre control point, running a hand through his hair, and he turned as the approaching footsteps reached his ears. The Doctor made his way across the latticed floors to Jack and sunk into a seat by his side.

"How's she doing?" Jack asked, studying the Doctor closely with pale, intent, almost grey-looking eyes. He smiled slightly.

"She's over the flu now, bless her. Back to school now."

Jack grinned.

"Bet that made her happy."

The Doctor laughed quietly and jabbed at a few buttons on the main console with the heels of his Converse-clad feet. Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Show-off. So where are your oh-so-talented feet taking us then?"

The Doctor grinned and cocked his head.

"North Pole. Thought I'd show you where Santa and his reindeer live."

"Come off it." Jack laughed.

The TARDIS rocked a little and then settled onto what seemed like a mountain peak of ice and snow. Jack stepped out and shrugged his great military coat further over his shoulders as the ice cold wind hit him.

"OK, maybe not Santa. You've seen his home" grinned the Doctor, nodding towards the TARDIS. Jack laughed as he continued. "But a something from space hit this spot a couple of days ago, and it's giving off signs of alien tech. Could be a chance for you to show off your Torchwood skills, Captain."

Jack smiled, but only half-heartedly this time. His thoughts drifted briefly to Gwen, Owen, Toshiko and Ianto, his team back in Cardiff. His smile faltered as he wondered what they were doing. Was Torchwood still even going? Had the team just drifted apart without his firm guidance to steer them in the right direction. No, he was giving himself too much credit. The others were probably fine without him, they weren't stupid after all.

"Jack?" The Doctor's voice cut into his thoughts and he snapped back into action. "Come on."

The two men worked their way across the ice and snow until they reached a small, silver capsule. It was big enough for up to three people, the Doctor confirmed, and as Jack opened it up they could see that there were indeed three people inside. Two of them looked as though they were made of ice. The other was a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was cowering in the back seat, a coat tucked about her knees, her sleek, brown hair covering her face. Jack knelt inside the capsule and reached to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, what's your name, sweetheart?" he asked. The Doctor bent to study the frozen bodies as he did so.

The girl looked up, and pushed her hair back to reveal terrified brown eyes. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Chloe." she whispered. "Chloe Foster."

Jack smiled. "Well, Chloe Foster, I'm Captain Jack Harkness and that's the Doctor."

Chloe nodded and smiled shakily at them both. "Where are we?"

"The North Pole."

"Earth" chipped in the Doctor helpfully. Chloe giggled.

"I'm from Earth. Dad's a scientist, he was trying to build a ship that could take a whole family to the stars. He thought today was going to be his big breakthrough." She started crying. "Oh, God, and now they're both…"

The Doctor laid a hand on Jack's arm.

"Come and look at this" he murmured. "What's your diagnosis?"

"Frozen to death, definitely." Jack confirmed. "And look, there's a gap here that would have let enough cold air in to do that. Looks like it took…best part of thirty seconds, I'd say."

The Doctor nodded.

"But then" continued Jack "if they froze to death so quickly, and the air filled the whole ship, then how…"

"Did I survive?" piped up Chloe. "Dad was brilliant, but he thought the heating would be enough once we were over the Atlantic, so neither Dad nor Mum wore more than one layer. I was more sensible. Sweltering hot throughout the journey, but it kept me alive. Parents never listen to children."

Jack shook his head. "Such a tragic waste."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. He was still looking around the capsule.

"This might sound odd, but we're looking for some alien technology." Jack explained. "We got a signal that there was something alien on this ship."

Chloe frowned. "Nothing alien as far as I know, but Dad did keep a lot of secrets."

"Mind if we take a look?"

Chloe shook her head as Jack and the Doctor started to rifle through her parents' belongings. Frustration became apparent on their faces as they found nothing in the bags and Jack turned exasperatedly to Chloe.

"Was there nothing strange at all?"

Chloe shook her head and ran her right hand through her hair. Jack suddenly grabbed her wrist and gently pulled it towards him. He turned her hand so her palm was facing downwards and held it up to eye level. The Doctor leaned over, putting his glasses on as he did so. They were looking at the ring on her middle finger.

"Where did you get this?" the Doctor asked.

"Birthday present from Dad" Chloe said, puzzlement clear in her voice. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

It was silver, made from what seemed like three strands woven together. Set in the middle were three stones, one a pale blue, one a pale pink and the other was pearly white. The Doctor slid it off her finger and twisted it round so he could study it. Jack leaned over his shoulder to see it better. He was still holding Chloe's hand.

"Oh, it's a tracer!" the Doctor exclaimed, awe decorating every word.

"I'm being tracked?" Chloe was shocked.

"The big question is" puzzled Jack "who's tracing you?"


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor pressed his sonic screwdriver against the silver ring, the piercing blue light filling the otherwise dark capsule. It was night, and the clear, black sky was pinpricked with thousands of stars. Jack took Chloe's hand and helped her out of the capsule. She was shaking slightly.

"Scared?" Jack asked sympathetically. "I would be, if something was tracking me down. Especially without knowing what it is."

Chloe laughed and shook her head.

"I'm not scared, I'm just bloody freezing!"

Jack grinned and gave her a hug, wrapping her in his massive coat.

"You know what? I like you, Chloe Foster!"

Chloe giggled. The Doctor clambered out of the capsule and grinned at them.

"I've managed to reverse the tracer, now it will lead us to whatever it is that was trying to track down Chloe. And _then _we can find out why it was trying to track her down."

Jack smiled. "So…to the TARDIS?"

The Doctor grinned. "To the TARDIS" he confirmed.

Chloe followed them across the frozen ground, stumbling a little on the slippery surface. Slipping her arm through Jack's for balance, she started speaking.

"So, who exactly are you?"

"We're time-traveller, alien fighter-slash-saver people type things." The Doctor attempted to explain. "We travel through space and time, changing it for the better. I'm a Timelord."

"A Timelord?" Chloe was sceptical. "What's that?"

"I'm the last one left…" began the Doctor, but paused as a lump suddenly formed in his throat. Jack decided to continue for him.

"Timelords come from a planet called Gallifrey. They oversee time and space, observing what was going on but never interfering. Until the Time War. A massive battle between the Daleks and the Timelords. Gallifrey burned, but so did the Daleks. And the Timelords, though. The Doctor is the last Timelord in existence, and he travels in the last TARDIS in existence."

"TARDIS?"

"Time And Relative Dimensions In Space."

Chloe paused, studying the Doctor as he clearly fought to blink back tears and decided to try and distract him with another question.

"So, you can like, change history and everything?"

"Yup." The Doctor grinned, abandoning all thoughts of the Master dying in his arms, refusing to regenerate. "Battle of Waterloo, I was whispering hints in Wellington's ear. I didn't like it when Napoleon won the first time round. And the Titanic…yeah, that might have been my fault."

"And you should have been there for the Year That Never Was" cut in Jack. He shuddered. "Eating cold suede mash day and night for a year? I'm never going back there again."

The Doctor laughed. "You still looked better than me. Younger, for once."

Jack punched the Doctor playfully on the arm. "Cheek!"

Chloe giggled. "So you two just travel through time…on your own?"

The two men nodded in unison as they reached the TARDIS.

"Here she is!" announced the Doctor proudly.

"It's just a blue box" commented Chloe, unsure whether they were tricking her.

"Just? What a horrible word!" cried the Doctor. "Many dreams have been shattered by that tiny four lettered word."

Chloe tried to mumble an apology, but the Doctor dismissed it.

"Wait 'til you see what's inside" whispered Jack in her ear.

Chloe followed them inside the blue box and gasped.

"No way! It's bigger on the inside? No way!" The Doctor and Jack laughed at her excited reaction as she danced around the centre of the TARDIS. Behind her, the walls pulsated with light, casting shadows on the coral-like wall supports. The Doctor grinned.

"It's not much, but it's home. Anyway, let's get to business." He placed the ring in a small box on the TARDIS's main control point. Humming contentedly, he then pulled a lever and pressed a couple of buttons. He then looked at Jack.

"Wanna take a look?"

Chloe's eyes widened.

"We didn't just move, did we?! Oh, I love this!" she pranced over to the door, closely following Jack. As he pulled it open, she peeked over his shoulder but he held her back.

"Don't forget, these things are looking for you" he warned as they stepped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor joined them and gently closed the door behind him.

"Where are we?" Chloe whispered.

They were in a spaceship or a satellite, but it seemed to be deserted. There were no signs of anyone having lived or worked there. Yet the engines were running, letting out a quiet hum that soon becomes ignored. The Doctor quickly scanned the area.

"Nothing dangerous…so far."

"Encouraging" commented Jack "I feel so much better now."

Chloe smiled weakly.

"So, Doctor. Any idea what's looking for me?"

The Doctor shook his head. He led them down the corridor, his sonic screwdriver giving out a small beam of light.

"No life signs on board" he whispered.

"But its human operated machinery" replied Jack. "That's not right."

"Humans aren't the only things that have the power to operate this ship."

Jack looked down at Chloe, who was shivering.

"Cold?"

Chloe smiled. "Scared."

The three of them crept slowly down the corridor, alert and ready for any sign of life on board the ship. Pausing outside a door, the Doctor pressed his ear against it. He then turned back to Jack and frowned, motioning for him to do the same. Chloe watched Jack's brow furrow in puzzlement.

"What do you think it is?" he whispered. The Doctor shrugged. Chloe sidled in between the two of them and pressed her own ear against the door, listening intently.

"It sounds like something…moving…like electric wheels or something. Alien?"

The Doctor nodded, a smile appearing on his face.

"I like you, Chloe. You're good."

Chloe blushed prettily and hid behind her curtain of sleek brown hair. The Doctor signalled something to Jack, and he nodded. He stepped back, pulling Chloe behind him by her arm, and, with all the force he could muster, kicked the door clean off its hinges.

"Couldn't you have tried the handle?" asked Chloe as they slipped into the room. Jack looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"I'm not a try-the-handle sorta guy" he said with a grin. The Doctor flung out an arm to hold him back. All three of them paused and stared at the creature in the room.

"No" whispered the Doctor. "This isn't happening."

Jack gulped.

"Chloe, you might wanna step behind me."

The Doctor faced the alien, his posture confident and powerful. Fear flickered briefly in his eyes, and was then extinguished.

"What do you want with Chloe?" he asked as he stared at the one remaining Dalek.


	3. Chapter 3

OK people, this isn't really a chapter.

I've had to change my account because of a stupid annoying thing called a younger sister mucking about with all the settings. And deleting the stories from my computer.

Doctor Who Story Attacking Virus mystery solved.

Honestly, you borrow her shoes for one day….

Sorry!

Anyhoos, new account name thelittlestlamb2


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